Saving the Ball

"When a ball is going out of bounds, and you see that one of your team members hit it last, and you know you can't get it and stay in-bounds, naturally you are going to try to bat it or push it in-bounds so your team at least has a chance for it" (DeVenzio 224).

Recently, in my game at Juanita High School in Kirkland, a similar situation took place against Meadowdale, where my teammate tipped a shot and it was going out of bounds... but I didn't attempt to save the ball at all. Being under the other teams basket, I just bounced around with my arms out ready to block anybody who attempted to save it. Varsity, spectating from the bleachers right next to the basket, outburst-ed with confusion: "Why didn't she save it?!" with faces of disbelief that someone would make a bone-headed decision like that, not hustling to save the ball. 

So why didn't I attempt to save the ball?

Right after his statement about saving a ball, DeVenzio clarifies that the only time you should not do this is "under the other team's basket when pushing it back into play could very well result in a quick layup for them" (224). Now the question from above turns into why would I save the ball? DeVenzio says that if you cannot directly tap the ball to a teammate or chuck it downcourt to the basket, it is better to let the ball go out of bounds (224). This especially took presence in my situation because not only would it be a tossup between who got possession of the ball if thrown back, but I was also unable to hurl it downcourt because I was right under the backboard.

In this picture you see a player in red diving over some photographers in his hustling attempt to save a ball from going out of bounds. 

Citation:

DeVenzio, Dick. Stuff Good Players Should Know. 3rd ed. Stafford: PGC      Basketball, 1983. Print.